The present invention generally relates to a towing dolly cradle assembly useful in the recovery of disabled vehicles by a tow truck. More specifically, the invention is directed to the individual dolly wheel assemblies that make up that cradle assembly.
Various towing dolly cradle assemblies are known, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,275,753 to Ceccarelli (“the '753 patent”), U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,675 to Orr, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,605 to Coccaro (“the '605 patent”). Preferably, a towing dolly cradle assembly includes a pair of parallel, opposed dolly wheel assemblies interconnected by a pair of interposed dolly axle assemblies, to form a rectangular frame. Each dolly wheel assembly includes two dolly wheels mounted outboard of a main tube, and an inboard-mounted axle cradle. The axle cradle is designed to carry one end of a dolly axle assembly. The disabled vehicle wheels may be raised in various ways. With the '753 patent, pivot mounting assemblies attached to the main tube and to the dolly wheels enable the dolly axle assemblies, supporting the disabled vehicle wheels, to be raised. With the '605 patent, the individual wheels of a disabled vehicle are raised using an individual, dedicated dolly wheel assembly whose chocks or body section members are drawn together. These towing dolly cradle assemblies permit one end of the disabled vehicle to be raised and transported behind a towing vehicle.
Most towing dolly assemblies require substantial strength from the tower to situate the cradle around the wheels of the disabled vehicle to be raised, and to raise the disabled vehicle wheels. It would be advantageous to provide a towing dolly assembly whose wheel cradle is more easily manipulated.
With towing dolly assemblies, placement of the cradle assembly around the wheel of a disabled vehicle is limited. For this reason, it would be advantageous to create a towing dolly assembly having movable axle cradles.
Further, dolly assemblies are rather large and cumbersome to store on towing vehicles with limited space. It would be advantageous to have a towing dolly cradle assembly that can collapse when it is not in use for ease of storing, transporting, and carrying by a user.